Chapter Seven
Sergi lowered his head and shook it. “Not until we get his side of the story. There are things here that do not make sense to me and it all has to be brought out into the open. We need all the facts before I make up my mind. If you remember, Vitali said he came back and he searched for her. What happened to her mother back home? Who buried her? Was there a police report? Did no one know about Tiyana... Briar? How could Vitali just walk away from Magna and his son?”
“Magna took her maiden name back after her husband died,” Kosta informed them from the speaker on Felix’s Cell.
“Her husband was Tiyana’s father but Magna wanted Grigori as her last name.
The family pride and all. They hadn’t been married but two years when he died and his family wanted nothing to do with her.
They said she brought shame to them when she had his child before they married.
She didn’t do that but they insisted. They never acknowledged the marriage because it wasn’t done in a church. ”
Kirill now took over the telling of this part, “But Davon married her before he went off to war. And the family got away with that shit because we were in training for Bratva and never knew what was happening. Our father had died by then or he never would have let that happen.” He shook his head.
“We went to the family and we were told because they didn’t recognize the marriage, they got his benefits from the service.
They left Magna with Tiyana as a baby and nothing to live on. ”
Sergi nodded. “Ok, but first we speak to Vitali then we prove Magna was married and deserved to get everything Davon left behind. Now that will go to Briar but I’ll bring down the whole family before we are done.”
An hour later...
Misha and Willy had been able to clean up as Misha had given Willy clean clothes.
Then after everyone had a chance to eat something, Nikoli ushered Vitali into the conference room.
Vitali paused before he entered.
Nikoli urged him with a poke to the back to go in.
Vitali wiggled his tie and cleared his throat before looking at Sergi. “What is going on here?”
Sergi just stared at him for a moment then he said, “Briar told us something earlier today and we want to ask you about it.” Sergi motioned for him to sit.
Vitali sat down and a bead of sweat rolled down his face. He clearly felt very nervous to be here. “What do you want to know?”
Sergi leaned forward and steepled his fingers. “Can you tell us what happened the day you went to Magna’s home? The day you found her and tried to get her help.”
Vitali nodded and fiddled with his tie again. “I arrived late in the afternoon and by then Magna was in bad shape. She was bleeding badly and I panicked. I tried to get her to my car but she didn’t make it.”
“Did she tell you anything?” Felix barked.
Vitali started to shake his head but he stopped and licked his dry lips.
“Da, she told me some story about a woman named Greta. At first, I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
I didn’t know anyone with that name, then she told me my son was already dead and she was too.
She told me she wasn’t going to make it and that it was too late to save her. ”
“Then what happened?” Sergi asked without emotion.
Vitali shook his head. “She stopped breathing and I think I was in shock. I laid her down and fixed her hair then I couldn’t stand the heartbreak I felt.
I could not believe she just died and my child too.
I grabbed Tiyana and left. I got on a plane the next morning and I didn’t.
...no, I couldn’t look back. I was in shock I think.
I had just lost the only woman I ever cared about and the son she carried before I ever met him.
I was so lost, then we landed. I could think clearly, I wanted to die actually.
I was careless and I lost Tiyana too. It took me a long time to get my head back on straight and I began the limo service.
” He spread his hands out and said, “That’s about it.
But I told you all of this before, why are you bringing it up again? ”
“Because we heard another version of this story today,” Sergi replied.
“About how a woman named Greta Dmitricoff found Magna and accused her of taking you away from her then spreading her legs for you to trap you into a marriage. Greta Dmitricoff beat her until she bled then she left with the family crest Magna wore around her neck.”
Vitali’s eyes widened as he gasped while shaking his head.
“That witch? I was never promised anything to her in any way shape or form. My parents wanted the marriage, yes, but I never did. I hadn’t yet met Magna when the arrangements were made by our families but I knew from the moment we met that I did not want Greta. ”
Sergi leaned forward again and he growled, “That was your first mistake, you said you never knew a woman named Greta.”
Vitali paled and more sweat droplets rolled down the side of his face.
Felix glared at him then and said, “Your second mistake was not taking care of Magna after she died. You didn’t even call her next of kin before you walked away with her daughter and got on that plane.
We never knew what happened to her or her daughter.
She had been buried by the State and the girl went missing. ”
Kirill leaned forward now and added, “Then you hurried away the moment you landed leaving that daughter behind. Did you even come back to look for her or call the police to tell them she was missing? Or did you go wallow in a bottle of your favorite vodka?”
Vitali just sat back in his chair in a slump.
He raised his hands to his face and rubbed his skin.
“I told you I was in shock. I was heartbroken and I wasn’t thinking.
When I came through customs, I didn’t even notice Tiyana wasn’t with me for a few minutes and I panicked.
I didn’t mean to leave her behind and by the time I realized it, too much time had passed.
I did try to find her but I didn’t even know where to start looking for her.
I searched the entire airport. But I was new to this country and I was afraid of causing trouble.
I could only pray that someone kind had found her and that she was being taken care of.
” He looked up at Briar and whispered, “I’m so sorry, child.
I never meant to lose you when we arrived.
You were all I had left of Magna and I failed you. ”
Briar stood from the sofa and stared at him for a long tense moment before she told him, “You failed more than just me. You never deserved my mother. It took her a long time to rejoin the world after my father died. His family was terrible as well. But he was a better man than you will ever be. You let her down again and again. She loved you and she was waiting for you to come back before your child was born but instead of you, she got Greta. I can see now that you very well knew Greta and what she referred to as your engagement. That woman was crazy, screaming and yelling about you being her fiancée and my mother had never known that little detail of your life. God sees everything Vitali and one day, Greta will answer for what she did.” She paused then stared at him, “And so will you.” Then she walked out.
Artem stood and walked over to Vitali. A man of little words, he did something most here did not expect. He always handled things quietly and this was really loud in its own way. He swung on Vitali and knocked him down. He then went out the door.
Vitali grunted in pain as spit flew from his mouth. He laid on the carpet and tried to wipe the blood from his cut lip.
Several men who were left in the room were just as furious as Artem had been.
Willy and Misha among them.
Finally, Vitali knew his time had come and he was scared to death of the consequences of his own actions.